On September 29, 2005, the House Judiciary Committee approved a bill that would impose a $1,500 application fee on Ls. This fee is on top of the current $500 "fraud fee" for L-1 visas. The proposed bill would not apply to visas for spouses and children of L-1 visa holders. Ironically, Democrats on the Committee opposed the bill, siding with the US Chamber of Commerce, while Republicans supported it, siding with labor unions. According to AFL-CIO Department of Professional Employees Executive Director Michael Gildea who was quoted in BNA's Daily Labor report, "We feel it's a step in the right direction. It adds an L-1 fee where we haven't had one." AFL-CIO's actions here will hurt American workers by reducing job opportunities in the US. The action by the Republicans on the Judiciary Committee show their anti-free market instincts and contradicts their professed support of the American capitalist economy. As this bill proceeds through House Floor action and Senate action, we pray that saner counsel might yet prevail, along the lines of the wise actions of the six Democrats on the Judiciary Committee who sided with the US Chamber of Commerce.

We welcome readers to share their opinion and ideas with us by writing to editor@ilw.com.

Detailed Curriculum For "USCIS Service Centers: Current Benefits Issues",
Deadline Is Tuesday, October 4th!

We are pleased to announce "USCIS Service Centers: Current Benefits Issues"
a 3-part telephone seminar on the current state of affairs in USCIS
benefits processing. The detailed curriculum is as follows:

FY 2006 DHS Appropriations Bill
We reproduce the FY 06 DHS appropriations bill which includes the following highlights: $1.8 billion for border security and control, funding an additional 1,000 Border Patrol Agents. When combined with the FY05 Supplemental, 1,500 new agents will be hired in FY06; $3.4 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, funding an additional 250 criminal investigators and 100 Immigration Enforcement Agents; when combined with the FY05 Supplemental, 568 new ICE agents and officers will be hired in FY06; $1 billion for immigration detention custody operations; $1.9 billion for citizenship and immigration services, including $1.7 billion in fee funded activities. For the entire conference report, see here. For the highlights, see here.

Help Wanted: Immigration Attorney
Experienced immigration attorney to work in legal department of global consulting firm. Ideal candidate will have substantial
experience dealing with all issues relating to foreign nationals working in US, including regulatory filings and HR counseling. Attorney will report to Senior Immigration counsel and must be a team player with excellent written and oral communication skills.
Compensation is competitive, excellent benefits. Submit resume to Sharon Lewis at: salewislegal@aol.com.

Help Wanted: Immigration ProfessionalYum! Brands, Inc., the world's largest restaurant company comprised of A&W, KFC, Long John Silver's, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell - seeks an I-9 Specialist. Primarily responsible for supervising the proper completion of I-9 Forms in the restaurants, inputting I-9 information into database and tracking expiration dates of work authorizations and visas. This position is based in Irvine, CA. Reviews all I-9 forms for compliance with federal law; inputs I-9 information into PeopleSoft and escalates any concerns to Legal Compliance Specialist. Acts as consultant to field managers regarding immigration related issues. Requirements: High school graduate, AA or Bachelor's Degree preferred; Must have Immigration experience; ability to manage multiple tasks effectively with minimal supervision; Proven customer service skills along with excellent communication skills; telephone skills must include the ability to understand and determine a resolution in a fast-paced environment; must be able to maintain confidentiality; team-oriented; ability to understand, interpret, and apply extensive laws and governmental regulations relating to immigration and employment; experience with Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel and Internet navigation; Experience with PeopleSoft HR applications and HelpDesk tools; Bilingual is a plus. To learn more, including how to apply, see here: http://www.yumcareers.com/. (Job ID: I-9 Specialist, HR).

Help Wanted: Immigration Paralegal
Washington, D.C. - Krupin O'Brien LLC seeks experienced paralegal to support immigration practice. We seek candidates with strong academic credentials and excellent communication
skills. We are looking for an experienced immigration paralegal with the ability to prioritize, organize and communicate effectively, and has the flexibility to work overtime. Paralegal will work directly with lawyers and staff in a professional environment. Must be proficient in MS Office. Email resume and cover letter to Evie Baskin: evb@krupinobrien.com.

Help Wanted: Immigration AttorneyThe Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law is a Los Angeles non-profit that focuses its work on the civil and human rights of insular minorities. For more info, see: www.legalizationusa.org and www.immigrantchildren.org. The Center is accepting resumes for its EAF Attorney position. The salary is 36k, 45k (when medical/dental insurance coverage included). Applicants must possess the following: CA State Bar admittance, bilingual in Spanish and English, strong research and writing skills, Lexis training and experience, ability to multi-task. Applicants with immigration experience preferred and should have a strong demonstrated commitment to social justice. Duties relate to program's Equal Access Fund grant's scope of work with the rights of unaccompanied minors, trafficking victims, and legalization and LIFE Act applicants, and include: assistance in development and implementation of training programs, providing technical support to legal services groups, community-based organizations, and eligible clients; reviewing and responding to correspondence; assistance in the research and writing of policy analysis, articles, outreach materials, etc.; providing consultations and referrals to eligible clients seeking legal assistance; representing the Center at governmental and community-based meetings and conferences; coordinating with legal services groups and community-based organizations the preparation of special immigrant juvenile status visa applications. Email cover letter, resume, + list of (3) references to both Peter Schey, Executive Director and Carlos Holguin, General Counsel.

Help Wanted: Immigration Paralegal
Successful downtown New York City-based immigration law firm seeks a talented immigration paralegal. The ideal candidate should possess 3+ years of corporate immigration experience. A 4-year college degree is preferred. Excellent organizational and computer skills are a must. Visit http://www.greencardmaker.com to learn more. Submit your resume and respond at: immjobsnow@hotmail.com.

Help Wanted: Immigration Paralegal
Downtown Washington, DC firm seeking a mature and responsible paralegal with a minimum of 2 years experience in both family and business immigration cases. Bachelor's degree and excellent writing skills are a must. We are a
boutique immigration firm with a fast-paced yet collegial atmosphere and no billable hours requirements. We offer a competitive salary and benefits - both traditional (health insurance) and non-traditional (in-office professional massage). Please send resume and writing sample to Paul S. Haar, Esq., 1150 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 900, Washington, DC 20036 or email to paulhaar@aol.com.

Help Wanted: Immigration Attorney
Small, energetic, progressive law firm in Columbus, Ohio seeks
attorney with 0-5 years experience to work immigration litigation
practice area. Individual must be highly motivated and well-organized, as
this is a dynamic and complex practice area. Position involves extensive
client contact and regional travel, with excellent opportunities for growth.
French, Spanish or other foreign language preferred. Competitive salary and
fringe benefits. Please submit resume and salary requirements in confidence to NLFResume@aol.com. This is a blind ad posting.

Help Wanted: Immigration Paralegal
Exceptional and challenging career opportunities available for you at this
prominent global immigration law firm in Iselin, New Jersey. The ideal
candidate must have 2 + years of exp. in business immigration, possess
excellent verbal and written communication skills, and the ability to
perform multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment. College degree, MS Word
and Windows 2000 required. The Firm offers highly competitive salaries and
excellent growth opportunities. We are conveniently located minutes from
the train station and are approximately a 40 minute train ride from
Manhattan on NJ Transit. Submit resume, writing sample, + salary
requirement to Alaina Shneiderovsky: Ashneiderovsky@Fragomen.com.

Offshore Services For Law Firms
We offer a wide range of back-office & clerical support services to
immigration attorneys in NIV and IVs, including managing checklists, form
completion, drafting cover/employer letters, consular processing
assistance, follow-up/correspondence with clients and other related services. Our services cover document generation, data entry, accounts, scheduling/calendering, clerical & archival. Quantum Technologies, Inc. is a sister company to Adnet Advertising Agency, the worldwide leader in immigration
advertising services for over a decade. Headquartered in New York City,
Quantum provides the highest quality services to law firms enabling them to
cost effectively and securely outsource law firm back office processes, and
focus on increasing earning, growth and servicing their clients. We work as your partner offering tailored services that accelerate product delivery. With state-of-the-art communication facilities and infrastructure, our offsite center functions as a virtual extension of your office providing 24 x 7 support and significant cost savings. Convenient billing options are
available. For more info. contact Johaina Mumtaz at Johaina@quantum-usa.com or call 212 406-3503 ext 224.

Readers can share their professional announcements (100-words or fewer at no charge), email: editor@ilw.com.

New Associate
Lisa E. Rios, Esq. has joined with David F. Vedder, P.A. in Daytona Beach, Florida, to practice immigration law. Ms. Rios is a graduate of Boston University and received her J.D. from the Columbia University School of Law in 1999. Prior to arriving in Florida, Ms. Rios practiced corporate and business law in New York City, Boston and Providence.

Readers are welcome to share their comments, email: editor@ilw.com (300-words or fewer preferred). Many letters to the Editor refer to past correspondence, available in our archives.

Dear Editor:
Alan Lee's article (09/29/05 ID) was incorrect regarding effective date of the appeal fee increase. CIS informs me that the effective date was yesterday, September 28. The CIS Information Officer tried to ease the pain by suggesting that CIS would be forgiving of those who had thought the 29th was the correct date--but who can trust something not in writing? I am also puzzled over the non-inclusion of this increase in the large form listing effective October 26, 2005. Mr. Divine must not have notice the problem because I know he would have been sensitive to the confusion resulting from multiple effective increase dates.

Paul Good

Editor's Note: Thanks for pointing out this error, it has been corrected.

Dear Editor:
In response to "a reader" (09/29/05 ID) commenting on my paper on US-VISIT (09/28/05 ID article), who objected to my comparison of the volume of New Jersey EZ-Pass travelers to the volume of border crossers, in fact mine was an apples-to-apples comparison. NJ EZ-Pass handles roughly 486 million toll transactions a year, and DHS reports about 200 million temporary foreign visitor crossings per year. Neither of these numbers refers to individuals. Considering that there are only about 8 million border-crossing card holders and roughly 7 million annual visa issuances, the reader's suggestion that a full implementation of US-VISIT would have to process 200 million individual foreign visitors a year, often making multiple trips, is a little off-base. Finally, I am sure many readers who have experienced or observed the implementation of US-VISIT would agree that the US-VISIT office is far from the reader's stereotypical poor performing, dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy, but rather a very professional and efficient operation that seems entirely capable of accomplishing what it is asked to do.

Dear Editor:
On Monday, September 26, 2005, Judge John Walker, Jr., Chief Judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals gave the keynote address at our conference on judicial review and immigration law. An audio file of his remarks concerning these important new procedural rules is now posted at New York Law School's Justice Action Center webpage. I believe Immigration Daily readers should know about these changes. The rules become effective on October 3, 2005. The rules themselves can be found at the website of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In addition to that audio file, working drafts of papers on the judicial review topic are also posted on the New York Law School's Justice Action Center webpage.

Lenni B. Benson, Professor and Co-Director Justice Action Center
New York Law School

Dear Editor:
I've been reviewing the new immigration fees that will be implemented on October 26, 2005. There is not a big increase in these fees however, there is no indication if the biometrics fee has changed or will be changing. Currently the biometric fee is $70.00. If anyone has information on the biometric fees, please advise as soon as possible as I do not want to submit applications and have them delayed because the biometric fee is not correct.

Maria Torres

Dear Editor:
There will be no new amnesty. There will be no increase in the H-1B cap. There will be increased border security. My three wishes have been granted. Thank you Congress.

Chucky

An Important disclaimer! The information provided on this page is not legal advice. Transmission of this information is not intended to create, and receipt by you does not constitute, an attorney-client relationship. Readers must not act upon any information without first seeking advice from a qualified attorney. Copyright 1999-2005 American Immigration LLC, ILW.COM. Send correspondence and articles to editor@ilw.com. Letters and articles may be edited and may be published and otherwise used in any medium. The views expressed in letters and articles do not necessarily represent the views of ILW.COM.